Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, is United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and Chair of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity. He chairs the Advisory Board of the Catalyst Foundation.

The sad record of EU Member States eliminating Religion(s) from their basic school curricula is the worst example that the West can give. Indeed the Churches in the Middle East go out of their way to educate in order to de-radicalize, but here we actively do exactly the contrary: religious illiteracy runs rampant among the young, the old and the politicians!!! Read more

Sorry Mr. Grossman bu violence has nothing to do with religion. The violence is in the human nature. You can not appropriate someone else belongings without violence. This was happened 30000 years, with or without religion. See example in Stalin's Russia or Mao's China. Mr.Brown is absolutely right is only through education that violence and radicalization could be eliminated. But not with the kind of education the today entertainment and mass media offer Read more

Gordon Brown highlights the "yawning gap" in the Middle East between the "educational, entrepreneurial, and occupational aspirations" of young people in the oil-rich states and the absence of similar opportunities among their peers in improverished countries. The biggest challenge is the acute humanitarian crisis as a result of the on-going conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, which are depriving more than 13 million children of an education, shattering their hopes for a "positive future."The destructive impact of a brutal war will scar youngsters for life, making a lost generation out of them. Out-of-school children are forced to work to support their families, subject to slave-like labour and sexual exploitation. Girls become child-brides to avoid being assaulted and to relieve their families of financial burden. Some children and youth are being recruited as combatants in armed groups, like ISIS, which is on the look out for "dispossessed and disaffected young people."What Gordon Brown has failed to mention is the phenomenon in the oil-rich states - high levels of education and the growing numbers of unemployed youth. Despite a formal education, the gap between knowledge and employment is still wide. Governments have invested heavily in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Nevertheless the results are still disappointing. Schools and universities produce graduates, but do not prepare them for the workplace. As a result these young people lack the skills to succeed in job markets, which itself, are marred by economic mismanagement. It explains why "half of those aged 18-25 are either unemployed or underemployed." He is also reluctant to mention that some Saudis have supported preachers, who "misused mosques – as a forum for radicalization." While he was prime minister, he had good relations with the Saudis. He visited Saudi Arabia in November 2008, trying to persuade King Abdullah to invest in an IMF fund to shore up ailing countries. At the same time the Saudis and Qataris were urged to invest in the development of green technologies, and in research into sustainable energy in Britain.Education alone will not make up for the impact of the violence and trauma children in war-torn countries go through, but for them education is still their only hope for a better future. Gordon Brown's resolution for 2016 is to ensure young people in the region "education, employment, and the chance to make the most of their talents," and to show the "new generation of web-savvy Muslim youth" that Islam can "coexist with Western values," and that young people share the same dreams and aspirations across the globe regardless of race, culture and religion. Read more

Dear Gordon, if you are sincere about helping, you better start with your own country. It may not be easy for you to walk on the streets of the major UK cities to see for yourself, but what Trump had said about the UK, is very much true. Radicalization is thriving in the UK and across all communities. Read more

Probably Mr. Brown was keen to learn from history, geography or math books. Many kids do not. They prefer going to movies. Can Mr.Brown list here some last 20 years movies without shooting, killing, sex scenes, violence, fight, scandals, whatever?Including cartoons? Or it is not the kind of education he is talking about!Maybe some video games, no? what about them? No blood at all?If I remember well the Arabs invented a very pacific game, the chess. I am am sorry this also is about taking someone else population out of the game!!!Offf,, you young people!! don't play games, don't go to the movies, stay at home, read- read- read... the Bible... Read more

Education (to include knowledge) is not the problem. ISIS is a movement that can be irradiated with little effort and in no time. Every day that passes new evidence emerges. The ex- Saddam and Gaddafi regimes together with the current Assad regime are playing a significant role behind the scenes. All it requires to resolve this conflict is the honest will of the parties involved (or benefiting) from it. Syria and Iraq have a very well educated population. They were prosperous and for this reason and this reason alone this was inflicted upon them (the same reason applies to many other countries). The high birth rate is one issue but this is due mostly to cultural rather than educational reasons. All faiths must undergo positive transformation to bring themselves in line with today’s expectations. But for all of this to happen one needs “honest, committed and sincere” leadership….. Read more

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